mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Peace Industry, The Mission, San Francisco
October 24, 2013
— 3 Comments
felt rugs
clean design
felt rugs
stack of rugs
felt with pattern
wall hanging
wall hanging
natural colors
foot stools
contemporary design
round
warm
On Monday in the Mission District in San Francisco traffic is relatively slow. My friend and I arrived early for a lunch date in order to shop and look around in the area. It turned out to be the perfect off peak time to be there. We found metered street parking right outside the restaurant, set it up for 4 hours, and set off in search of whatever there was to find. We had been told that the area is becoming so hip and gallery filled that regular folks are being priced out of the commercial space. This is kind of true. Upscale art and restaurants, clubs and clothing dot the landscape of the Hispanic neighborhood of the city.
The first stop on our tour was an amazing felt gallery with modern designs and very special material. Peace Industry felt rugs are produced in Turkey. The texture is sturdy but also really soft. I enjoyed feeling the felt under my feet. All sizes are made with designs created especially for this purpose. Fair trade is practiced and the result is amazing merchandise at very fair pricing. I want one still, and have remembered what Dodd Raissnia, the proprietor, told us while we were looking at the pieces in the gallery. The sales tax in San Francisco is about the same as shipping to most US locations, so many of the customers do purchase from home. I still recall how wonderful it feels, and I know it would last for the rest of my life. I may start with one of the small baskets constructed out of pieces of felt just as a warm up. I thought all the pieces were delightfully designed and very well crafted. The stools would be super cozy by the wood stove in winter.
Ancestors and Past Lives
October 23, 2013
— 2 Comments
altar
shrine
offerings
Day of the Dead
dead mariachi
cauldron
Spiritualism, as in seances to contact the dead, has never appealed to me. I did once go to a hypnosis group that all went into trance in order to contact past lives. I had some images of Austria in those trance sessions that were not clear. I did continue to study and use hypnosis, but decided that past life group was not my style. My frequent use of trance was during the stretch and relax segment of a fitness class, when I made an effort to put the students into trance at the end of the session in order to plant subversive thoughts of self care and healthy practices deeply into their brains. Light trance can be helpful for all kinds of situations. It would be very hard to distinguish between meditation, trance, and prayer.
As we move into the Day of the Dead season in Tucson the obvious popular attention is drawn to our elaborate public celebration of the traditional visit with the departed. Dead gear is sold and created all over town. Altars are built to remember the dead, and graves are decorated for the holiday. A community mentality of welcoming the souls to earth in costume, effigy, performance, and spectacle creates a group trance. The caldron is carried through the streets with written wishes before the contents are burned. The ceremony is reverent as well as irreverent; It has aspects of humor along with serenity. The living are calling on the dead, and there is no way to say exactly how the dead are involved.
I can tell you after years of study into my family history, and the history around what my ancestors did that all your predecessors are your past lives. All the trauma and glory they had in life has been passed down to you in your DNA. You have talents as well as irrational fears that come from the family that created you. What you absolutely have in common with all of your relations is mortality. Some do live longer than others, and some have easier deaths, but in the end we all go back to Mother Earth. The nature of mortality is the subject of All Souls’ Day. Our acceptance of it will make our lives fuller and easier to enjoy if we admit it is going to end and transform someday.
Sir John Tyndale, Knight of the Order of the Bath
October 22, 2013
— 7 Comments
Order of the Bath
SIR JOHN TYNDALL KT., the only son of Sir ‘William by Mary Mondeford, was ten years old when his father died, and was then already contracted to marry one of the daughters of Humphrey Coningsby, Serjeant-at-Law (afterwards a Knight and a Judge of the King’s Bench), to whom his wardship and marriage had been sold by his father.
He married accordingly Amphillis Coningsby, who died before him on 18th Jan. 1532-3, leaving nine children. A gray marble slab in the chancel of Hockwold Church bears the effigies in brass of a lady and nine children, with this inscription:
Qui~quis ens qin transieris sta. perlege, plora,
Sum quod ens, fuciainque quod es, pro me piecor ora
Obitus Amfelicie Tendall decimo octavo die Mensis Januar. A I). MccccoXXXi j”
Sir John Tyndall was one of the Knights of the Bath created on 31st May 1533 at the coronation of Queen Anne Boleyn, (30) and married secondly in 1534 Lady Winifred Fermor, the widow of Sir Henry Fermor Kt., of’ East Barsham in Norfolk. Their marriage settlement is dated 14th Dec. 26l ien. VII I. (1534), whereby Sir John charged the manor of Scales hail in Hockwold with the payment. of 421. per annum by way of jointure to Dame Winifred) She was the daughter of Thomas Cawse, an Alderman of Norwich,and was thrice married, for her first husband was Henry- Dynne Esq. of Heydon in Norfolk. She had no issue by her third husband, whom she outlived.
Sir John Tyndall died on 1st Oct. 1539 at the age of 53, seised of the following manors and estates, which were valued at 223l 10s. per annum beyond all reprises (32)
Norfolk, The manor of Hickling, value per annum
The manor and advowson of Pudding-Norton
The manor of Redenhall in Harlston . The manors of Ilsington and Clenchwarton with the advowson of Clenchwarton .
Cambridgeshire, The manor of Haslingfield
Northants, The manor of Helpston ~
Norfolk Lands called Bainys, Lands lying in Colston . The manor of Mondeford, Scale, and Stewkeys, with East Lexham and
the advowson of Hockwold
(Research of Mark W Gardner, “Gardner’s Roots, RootsWeb.com)
John Tyndale (1486 – 1539)
is my 11th great grandfather
daughter of John Tyndale
son of Margaret Tyndale
son of Thomas Taylor
son of Thomas Taylor
son of James Taylor
son of John Taylor
son of John Taylor
son of John Taylor
son of John Nimrod Taylor
son of John Samuel Taylor
son of William Ellison Taylor
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
He was a knight in the Order of the Bath. I think that is very funny because I am especially crazy about taking baths and water in general.
In the Middle Ages, knighthood was often conferred with elaborate ceremonies. These usually involved the knight-to-be taking a bath (possibly symbolic of spiritual purification), during which he was instructed in the duties of knighthood by more senior knights. He was then put to bed to dry. Clothed in a special robe, he was led with music to the chapel where he spent the night in a vigil. At dawn, he made confession and attended Mass, then retired to his bed to sleep until it was fully daylight. He was then brought before the King, who, after instructing two senior knights to buckle the spurs to the knight-elect’s heels, fastened a belt around his waist, then struck him on the neck (with either a hand or a sword), thus making him a knight. It was this “accolade” which was the essential act in creating a knight, and a simpler ceremony developed, conferring knighthood merely by striking or touching the knight-to-be on the shoulder with a sword, or “dubbing” him, as is still done today. In the early medieval period, the difference seems to have been that the full ceremonies were used for men from more prominent families.
From the coronation of Henry IV in 1399, the full ceremonies were restricted to major royal occasions such as coronations, investitures of the Prince of Wales or royal Dukes, and royal weddings. Knights so created became known as Knights of the Bath. Knights Bachelor continued to be created with the simpler form of ceremony. The last occasion on which Knights of the Bath were created was the coronation of Charles II in 1661.
From at least 1625, and possibly from the reign of James I, Knights of the Bath were using the motto Tria iuncta in uno (Latin for “Three joined in one”), and wearing as a badge three crowns within a plain gold oval. These were both subsequently adopted by the Order of the Bath; a similar design of badge is still worn by members of the Civil Division. Their symbolism, however, is not entirely clear. The ‘three joined in one’ may be a reference to the kingdoms of England, Scotland and either France or Ireland, which were held (or claimed in the case of France) by British monarchs. This would correspond to the three crowns in the badge. Another explanation of the motto is that it refers to the Holy Trinity. Nicolas quotes a source (although he is sceptical of it) who claims prior to James I, the motto was Tria numina iuncta in uno, (three powers/gods joined in one), but from the reign of James I the word numina was dropped and the motto understood to mean Tria [regna] iuncta in uno (three kingdoms joined in one).
coat of arms Tyndale
Osteopathy
October 22, 2013
— 5 Comments
While visiting in California I had an osteopathic adjustment at Celina’s office. I am accustomed to all the best in body work all the time, so I appreciate the careful and professional way she addressed my issues. The only doctor I ever trusted was Dr. Robert Fulford. He practiced only manipulative medicine, as Celina does. Today in the US most DOs (osteopathic physicians) do not use manipulative medicine, but have followed the MDs into pimping for big pharma. I asked Dr. Fulford when he was my doctor what is wrong with most medical practices that they make patients wait and treat them with no respect. I always remember his answer. He said “It is their training.” This is true more than ever.
I experienced loads of negligence while taking care of my parents’ medical issues in their last years. I was shocked by heavier abuse when I volunteered for the VA and saw how the Vets are treated. I have stayed away from all drugs because I think they are the cause and not the cure for most of the folks who are on them. I don’t want to have to go to a doctor who believes drugs are the answer. After the treatment I was inspired to find a real osteopath in Tucson. Lucky for me Teresa Cisler, DO is still in practice here and was trained by Dr. Fulford himself. The goddess of healing provided a cancellation in her schedule so that I may go next Monday to enroll as her patient. Normally she is in such high demand that it takes months to get on the books for time with her. I am so pleased to follow up here at home on the work that Celina began. The treatment and analysis she did with me was pleasurable at the time, but most important is the healing that continues. She was trained in Canada where the osteopaths are still doing osteopathy. In California her work is classified as body work. The reason she stands out as more knowledgeable and professional than most body workers? Is is her training. Sensitivity is developed in the hand to feel pulses, heat, and the tiniest differences in tissues under the skin. By looking at your alignment and gait, then feeling the systems at work she is able to determine what your body needs the most. The focus is on the client, 100%, a rare and very effective strategy for a healer. It worked very well for me.
Celina Trevino
Lady Mary Davenport, Countess Cheshire
October 21, 2013
— 4 Comments
Lady Mary Davenport
Lady Mary Davenport Countess Cheshire (1287 – 1361)
is my 19th great grandmother
William Mainwaring (1316 – 1364)
son of Lady Mary Davenport Countess Cheshire
Randle Mainwaring (1367 – 1456)
son of William Mainwaring
CLEMENCE MAYNWARYNGE (1390 – 1414)
daughter of Randle Mainwaring
Thomas Beeston (1414 – 1477)
son of CLEMENCE MAYNWARYNGE
John Beeston (1441 – 1498)
son of Thomas Beeston
Baron Tochett Beeston (1458 – 1518)
son of John Beeston
John Beeston (1478 – 1543)
son of Baron Tochett Beeston
Mary Beeston (1503 – )
daughter of John Beeston
Richard Wyche (1525 – 1594)
son of Mary Beeston
Richard Wyche (1554 – 1621)
son of Richard Wyche
Henry Wyche (1604 – 1678)
son of Richard Wyche
Henry Wyche (1648 – 1714)
son of Henry Wyche
George Wyche (1685 – 1757)
son of Henry Wyche
Peter Wyche (1712 – 1757)
son of George Wyche
Drury Wyche (1741 – 1784)
son of Peter Wyche
Mary Polly Wyche (1774 – 1852)
daughter of Drury Wyche
John Samuel Taylor (1798 – 1873)
son of Mary Polly Wyche
William Ellison Taylor (1839 – 1918)
son of John Samuel Taylor
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of William Ellison Taylor
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
A fellow Davenport compiled this documentation about the family. Mary comes in at number 6. I am very grateful for this because I too am descended from her son William:
My Davenport ancestors
The following history on the Davenport line includes segments from these books: “Medieval English Ancestors of Robert Abell” , “Kin of Mellcene Thurman Smith”
Davenport is situated about five miles northeast of Sandbach, in a sequestered part of the hundred. The hall is a low building of various materials, still used as a residence of a gentleman’s family and doubtless retaining in its walls many relics of the ancient mansion which occupied its site. It stands on high ground above a range of rich meadows, through which the Dane flows rapidly. It is in the most pleasing scenery of the hundred and must have held no ordinary charm for the ancient chiefs of Davenport, the forest hills of Macclesfield, the scene of their favorite sports and feudal power. The manorial history of the township of Davenport involves a subject of rare occurrence even in this country–the descent of a family in one uninterrupted male line from the time of the Norman Conquest until today, possessing the feudal powers with which it was at first invested and preserving in its own archives, in a series of original documents, the proofs of its ancient importance and its unbroken line.
01. Orme de Davenport, the ancestor of the Davenports, assumed the local name Davenport, and the manorial history of the present time gives the date assigned to Orme de Davenport as 20 of William I, which would be 1086. This is proved by four pedigrees in the British Museum. He was a witness to a charter of enfranchisement by Gilbert de Venables during the reign of either King William II or King Henry I.
02. Richard de Davenport shown as son of Orme in Ormerod’s pedigree [3:68], which was based on deeds, Pleas and Recognizance Rolls, inquisitions post mortem and other evidence. He married Amibilia Venables, daughter of the 2nd Gilbert Venables and sister of Hugh Venables, rector of Eccleston in 1188, whose acknowledged minority gives the only means of calculating the time of Orme de Davenport. He was appointed supreme forester of the earl’s forests of Leek and Macclesfield, Cheshire, sometime between 1153 and 1181. (Note: Omerod’s History of Chester inserted Thomas de Davenport as next generation followed by another Richard de Davenport.)
03. Vivian de Davenport, son of Richard was probably born before 1190, but certainly before 1205. He was living in 1254 but died in 1260. He was Richard’s successor as Lord of Davenport and Marton in Cheshire, England. He had a grant of the magisterial serjeancy of the forests of the hundred of Macclesfield and Leeds from Randle Blunderville, Earl of Chester. The powers of this office were the highest the Earl could bestow, as it placed in several cases at this disposal of the serjeant the lives of his subjects without delay and without appeal. Vivian married Beatrix De Hulme, daughter of Bertrand de Hulme. He held rents of the constable of Chester, Edmund de Lacy. This showed a connection to the Lacy family, the Barons of halton and Earls of Lincoln. He also witnessed a number of charters with leading members of the county society. He witnessed over forty charters.
04. Roger de Davenport, son of Vivian and Beatrix was probably an adult in the period 1245 to 1249. He married Mary Salemon, daughter of Robert Salemon of Wythington. He held the serjeancy of Macclesfield. He exchanged lands in Marton for lands in Bramhall and Hillcroft, and became influential in the northern part of the Hundred of Macclesfield, so that he was able to make extensive grants to other members of his own family. He died between 1291 and 1297.
05a. Henry Davenport, son of Roger and Mary had lands in Macclesfield, Cheshire in 1294.
06. Mary Davenport, daughter of Henry married William Mainwaring. I descend from son William Mainwaring who married Elizabeth Leycester.
05b. Thomas Davenport, son of (#4) Roger and Mary was born abt. 1253. He married Agnes Macclesfield, daughter of Thomas Macclesfield abt. 1280 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. Thomas died abt. 1320.
06. Thomas Davenport, son of Thomas and Agnes was born abt. 1283. He married Elizabeth abt 1315.
Ode to the Ancestors
October 20, 2013
— 2 Comments
My Grandmothers
UA Poetry Center
altar to honor the dead
art in chalk
images and words
poem in chalk
I went to the U of A Poetry Center to leave an offering I made for my mom at the altar. While I was there I found my paternal ancestor’s book of poems and read for a while. Mistress Bradstreet had a style that showed her knowledge of history, astrology, and nature. She offered meditations to her son to guide him in the future when she was no longer alive. I truly had to wonder if she had ever thought her 9th great granddaughter might read her work and try to imagine her living presence. Knowing facts about the lives of my ancestors is fun, but the creative writing of my grandmother is more personal. I wrote an ode to all of the people who survived in order for me to exist today.
Ancestry Garden
Rows of ancestors spread out in the garden of research
Roots reveal; Some conceal, the same deal
What do they leave for us?
What do we keep as our own?
They still offer, they still have wisdom
Connected by birth/death/recognition.
They tell us the secrets of mortality.
Mistress Bradstreet, Puritan Poet
October 20, 2013
— 6 Comments
My 9th great grandmother was the first woman poet to be published in America:
Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) is one of the most important figures in the history of American Literature. She is considered by many to be the first American poet, and her first collection of poems, “The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, By a Gentlewoman of Those Parts”, doesn’t contain any of her best known poems, it was the first book written by a woman to be published in the United States. Mrs. Bradstreet’s work also serves as a document of the struggles of a Puritan wife against the hardships of New England colonial life, and in some way is a testament to plight of the women of the age. Anne’s life was a constant struggle, from her difficult adaptation to the rigors of the new land, to her constant battle with illness.
It is clear to see that Anne’s faith was exemplary, and so was her love for children and her husband, Governor Simon Bradstreet. Anne’s poems were written mainly during the long periods of loneliness while Simon was away on political errands. Anne, who was a well educated woman, also spent much time with her children, reading to them and teaching them as her father had taught her when she was young. While it is rather easy for us to view Puritan ideology in a bad light because of it’s attitude towards women and strict moral code, her indifference to material wealth, her humility and her spirituality, regardless of religion, made her into a positive, inspirational role model for any of us.
Another one of Anne’s most important qualities was her strong intuition, although only subtly hinted at in her work, probably for fear of reprisal from the deeply religious Puritan community, one cannot help but feel her constant fascination with the human mind, and spirit, and inner guidance.
Her style is deceptively simple, yet speaks of a woman of high intelligence and ideals who was very much in love, and had unconditional faith. While it was difficult for women to air their views in the 17th Century, Anne Bradstreet did so with ease, as her rich vocabulary and polyvalent knowledge brought a lyrical, yet logical quality to her work which made it pleasant for anyone to read.
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- Cover Page
-
- Her book
-
- handwritten
-
- her own hand
-
- to her son
-
- written in her style
-
- water sound
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- stone seating
-
- garden of poetic bamboo
-
- quiet space
-
- designed for poetry
-
- entrance design
-
- art
-
- handrail
Anne Dudley Bradstreet was protected by her father and husband at a time when women were not supposed to think, let alone write poetry. She wrote history as she lived it as an Englishwoman in New England. I visited the University of Arizona Poetry Center this week to see the word shrine for the dead. I was very happy to also find a big blue book by Anne Bradstreet on the shelves. I enjoyed the wonderful space and visited with my ancestor by reading her works for about an hour. I had seen some of the work before, but since I was thinking of ancestry I really enjoyed the note she wrote to her son Simon (brother of my own ancestor). There is a copy preserved in her own hand, which I love to see. It gives me some intuition into her soul’s journey. Being a Pilgrim was not easy, but if your father and husband were governors you had some obvious advantages.
It is a wonderment of synchronicity to find my ancestor’s work preserved at the Poetry Center very near my home where I can go visit and read her any time.
Selena, Goddess of the Moon
October 17, 2013
— 2 Comments
Selena bears good tidings at the full moon. She rides through the sky in a silver chariot reflecting all that is true and eternal. She was a Titan goddess, predating the Olympians. Selena bathed during the day and rode around the heavens at night. Her love affair with a handsome mortal resulted in 50 daughters. She has the power to control time, mask reality, and expose the truth. She had her lover put to sleep eternally so she could visit him in a cave forever. She is distant, cold, and yet kind.
The full moon is associated with mania and extreme states of mind. The time between the last new moon and the full moon tonight was characterized by the loony government shutdown and all it entailed. When the old men in the Senate had nothing, the women organized to end the stalemate. They shed light on a ridiculous situation. I am reminded of a saying attributed to the Buddha:
“There are three things that will not long stay hidden, the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
Selena
Jaime I of Aragon
October 16, 2013
— 4 Comments
Jaime I Aragon and Mallorc
James I of Aragon was known as the conqueror because he defeated the Moors at Valencia.
James the Conqueror
Jaime I Pedrez of Aragon and Mallorc (1207 – 1276)
is my 22nd great grandfather
son of Jaime I Pedrez of Aragon and Mallorc
daughter of Pedro Great
son of Isabella Pedra Aragon
son of Alphonso Dinisez Portugal
son of Peter I Portugal Cruel Algarve
daughter of John I DePinto
son of Beatrix DePinto
son of John Fettiplace
daughter of Richard Fettiplace
daughter of Anne Fettiplace
daughter of Mary Purefoy
son of Susanna Thorne
daughter of Gov Thomas Dudley
son of Anne Dudley
daughter of John Bradstreet
son of Mercy Bradstreet
daughter of Caleb Hazen
daughter of Mercy Hazen
son of Martha Mead
son of Abner Morse
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
son of Jason A Morse
son of Ernest Abner Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse
James I the Conqueror (Catalan: Jaume el Conqueridor, Aragonese: Chaime lo Conqueridor, Spanish: Jaime el Conquistador, Occitan: Jacme lo Conquistaire; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276. His long reign saw the expansion of the Crown of Aragon on all sides: into Valencia to the south, Languedoc to the north, and the Balearic Islands to the east. By a treaty with Louis IX of France, he wrested the county of Barcelona from nominal French suzerainty and integrated it into his crown. His part in the Reconquista was similar in Mediterranean Spain to that of his contemporary Ferdinand III of Castile in Andalusia.
As a legislator and organiser, he occupies a significant place among the Spanish kings. James compiled the Libre del Consulat de Mar,[1] which governed maritime trade and helped establish Aragonese supremacy in the western Mediterranean. He was an important figure in the development of Catalan, sponsoring Catalan literature and writing a quasi-autobiographical chronicle of his reign: the Llibre dels fets.
Contents
1 Early life and reign until majority
2 Acquisition of Urgell
3 Relations with France and Navarre
4 Reconquest
5 Crusade of 1269
6 Patronage of art, learning, and literature
7 Succession
8 Marriages and children
9 Ancestry
10 Notes
11 References
12 External links
Early life and reign until majority
James was born at Montpellier as the only son of Peter II and Mary, heiress of William VIII of Montpellier and Eudokia Komnene. As a child, James was a pawn in the power politics of Provence, where his father was engaged in struggles helping the Cathar heretics of Albi against the Albigensian Crusaders led by Simon IV de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, who were trying to exterminate them. Peter endeavoured to placate the northern crusaders by arranging a marriage between his son James and Simon’s daughter. He entrusted the boy to be educated in Montfort’s care in 1211, but was soon forced to take up arms against him, dying at the Battle of Muret on 12 September 1213. Montfort would willingly have used James as a means of extending his own power had not the Aragonese and Catalans appealed to Pope Innocent III, who insisted that Montfort surrender him. James was handed over, at Carcassonne, in May or June 1214, to the papal legate Peter of Benevento.
James was then sent to Monzón, where he was entrusted to the care of William of Montredon, the head of the Knights Templar in Spain and Provence; the regency meanwhile fell to his great uncle Sancho, Count of Roussillon, and his son, the king’s cousin, Nuño. The kingdom was given over to confusion until, in 1217, the Templars and some of the more loyal nobles brought the young king to Zaragoza.[2]
In 1221, he was married to Eleanor, daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Leonora of England. The next six years of his reign were full of rebellions on the part of the nobles. By the Peace of Alcalá of 31 March 1227, the nobles and the king came to terms.[3]
Acquisition of Urgell
In 1228, James faced the sternest opposition from a vassal yet. Guerau IV de Cabrera had occupied the County of Urgell in opposition to Aurembiax, the heiress of Ermengol VIII, who had died without sons in 1208. While Aurembiax’s mother, Elvira, had made herself a protegée of James’s father, on her death (1220), Guerao had occupied the county and displaced Aurembiax, claiming that a woman could not inherit.
James intervened on behalf of Aurembiax, whom he owed protection. He bought Guerau off and allowed Aurembiax to reclaim her territory, which she did at Lleida, probably also becoming one of James’ earliest mistresses.[4] She surrendered Lleida to James and agreed to hold Urgell in fief from him. On her death in 1231, James exchanged the Balearic Islands for Urgell with her widower, Peter of Portugal.
Relations with France and Navarre
From 1230 to 1232, James negotiated with Sancho VII of Navarre, who desired his help against his nephew and closest living male relative, Theobald IV of Champagne. James and Sancho negotiated a treaty whereby James would inherit Navarre on the old Sancho’s death, but when this did occur, the Navarrese nobless instead elevated Theobald to the throne (1234), and James disputed it. Pope Gregory IX was required to intervene.[5] In the end, James accepted Theobald’s succession.
James endeavoured to form a state straddling the Pyrenees, to counterbalance the power of France north of the Loire. As with the much earlier Visigothic attempt, this policy was victim to physical, cultural, and political obstacles. As in the case of Navarre, he was too wise to launch into perilous adventures. By the Treaty of Corbeil, signed in May 1258, he frankly withdrew from conflict with Louis IX of France and was content with the recognition of his position, and the surrender of antiquated and illusory French claims to the overlordship of Catalonia.
Reconquest
After his false start at uniting Aragon with the Kingdom of Navarre through a scheme of mutual adoption, James turned to the south and the Mediterranean Sea, where he conquered Majorca on 10 September in 1229 and the rest of the Balearic Islands; Minorca 1232; Ibiza 1235) and where Valencia capitulated 28 September 1238. Chroniclers say he used gunpowder in the siege of Museros castle.
During his remaining two decades after Corbeil, James warred with the Moors in Murcia, on behalf of his son-in-law Alfonso X of Castile. On 26 March 1244, the two monarchs signed the Treaty of Almizra to determine the zones of their expansion into Andalusia so as to prevent squabbling between them. Specifically, it defined the borders of the newly-created Kingdom of Valencia. James signed it on that date, but Alfonso did not affirm it until much later. According to the treaty, all lands south of a line from Biar to Villajoyosa through Busot were reserved for Castile.
[edit] Crusade of 1269
The “khan of Tartary” (actually the Ilkhan) Abaqa corresponded with James in early 1267, inviting him to join forces with the Mongols and go on Crusade.[6] James sent an ambassador to Abaqa in the person of Jayme Alaric de Perpignan, who returned with a Mongol embassy in 1269.[7] Pope Clement IV tried to dissuade James from Crusading, regarding his moral character as sub-par, and Alfonso X did the same. Nonetheless, James, who was then campaigning in Murcia, made peace with Mohammed I ibn Nasr, the Sultan of Granada, and set about collecting funds for a Crusade. After organising the government for his absence and assembling a fleet at Barcelona in September 1269, he was ready to sail east. The troubadour Olivier lo Templier composed a song praising the voyage and hoping for its success. A storm, however, drove him off course and he landed at Aigues-Mortes. According to the continuator of William of Tyre, he returned via Montpellier por l’amor de sa dame Berenguiere (“for the love his lady Berengaria”) and abandoned any further effort at a Crusade.
James’ bastard sons Pedro Fernández and Fernán Sánchez, who had been given command of part of the fleet, did continue on their way to Acre, where they arrived in December. They found that Baibars, the Mameluke sultan of Egypt, had broken his truce with the Kingdom of Jerusalem and was making a demonstration of his military power in front of Acre. During the demonstration, Egyptian troops hidden in the bushes ambushed a returning Frankish force which had been in Galilee. James’ sons, initially eager for a fight, changed their minds after this spectacle and returned home via Sicily, where Fernán Sánchez was knighted by Charles of Anjou.
Statue of James I at the Sabatini Gardens in Madrid (J. León, 1753).
Patronage of art, learning, and literature
James built and consecrated the Cathedral of Lleida, which was constructed in a style transitional between Romanesque and Gothic with little influence from Moorish styles.[8]
James was a patron of the University of Montpellier, which owed much of its development to his impetus.[9] He also founded a studium at Valencia in 1245 and received privileges for it from Pope Innocent IV, but it did not develop as splendidly.[10] In 1263, James presided over a debate in Barcelona between the Jewish rabbi Nahmanides and Pablo Christiani, a prominent converso.
James was the first great sponsor and patron of vernacular Catalan literature. Indeed, he may himself be called “the first of the Catalan prose writers.”[11] James wrote or dictated at various stages a chronicle of his own life, Llibre dels fets in Catalan, which is the first self-chronicle of a Christian king. As well as a fine example of autobiography the “Book of Deeds” expresses concepts of the power and purpose of monarchy; examples of loyalty and treachery in the feudal order; and medieval military tactics. More controversially, some historians have looked at these writings as a source of Catalan identity, separate from that of Occitania and Rome.
James also wrote the Libre de la Saviesa or “Book of Wisdom”. The book contains proverbs from various authors going back as far as King Solomon and as close to his own time, such as Albert the Great. It even contains maxims from the medieval Arab philosophers and from the Apophthegmata Philosophorum of Honein ben Ishak, which was probably translated at Barcelona during his reign. A Hebrew translator by the name of Jehuda was employed at James’s court during this period.[12]
Though James was himself a prose writer and sponsored mostly prose works, he had an appreciation of verse.[13] In consequence of the Albigensian Crusade, many troubadours were forced to flee southern France and many found refuge in Aragon. Notwithstanding his early patronage of poetry, by the influence of his confessor Ramon de Penyafort, James brought the Inquisition into his realm in 1233 to prevent any vernacular translation of the Bible.[14]
[edit] Succession
The favour James showed his illegitimate offspring led to protest from the nobles, and to conflicts between his sons legitimate and illegitimate. When one of the latter, Fernán Sánchez, who had behaved with gross ingratitude and treason to his father, was slain by the legitimate son Peter, the old king recorded his grim satisfaction.
In his Will James divided his states between his sons by Yolanda of Hungary: the aforementioned Peter received the Hispanic possessions on the mainland and James, the Kingdom of Majorca (including the Balearic Islands and the counties of Roussillon and Cerdanya) and the Lordship of Montpellier. The division inevitably produced fratricidal conflicts. Always the home de fembres (“lady’s man”), he eloped with the wife of one of his vassals in his final years and was excommunicated for his efforts by Pope Gregory X. In 1276, the king fell very ill at Alzira and resigned his crown, intending to retire to the monastery of Poblet, but he died at Valencia on 27 July.
Mummified head of James, exhumed in 1856
Marriages and childrenAragonese and Valencian Royalty
House of Barcelona
Alfonso IIChildren include Peter (future Peter II of Aragon) Alfonso II, Count of ProvencePeter IIChildren include James (future James I of Aragon, Valencia and Majorca)James I Peter (future Peter III of Aragon and I of Valencia and Sicily) James II of Majorca Violant, Queen of Castile Constance, Infanta of Castile Isabella, Queen of FrancePeter III (I of Valencia and Sicily)Children include Alfonso (future Alfonso III of Aragon and I of Valencia) James (future James I of Sicily and II of Aragon and Valencia) Frederick II of Sicily Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal Yolanda, Duchess of CalabriaAlfonso III (I of Valencia)James II (I of Sicily)Children include Alfonso (future Alfonso IV of Aragon and II of Valencia)Alfonso IV (II of Valencia)Children include Peter (future Peter IV of Aragon and II of Valencia)Peter IV (II of Valencia)Children include Constance, Queen of Sicily John (future John I of Aragon and Valencia) Martin (future Martin II of Sicily and I of Aragon and Valencia) Eleanor, Queen of Castile Isabella, Countess of UrgelGrandchildren include Ferdinand (future Ferdinand I of Aragon, Valencia and Sicily) Isabella, Countess of Urgel and CoimbraJohn I Yolande, Queen of FranceMartin I (II of Sicily)
James first married, in 1221, Eleanor, daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Leonora of England. Though he later had the marriage annulled, his one son by her was declared legitimate:
Alfonso (1229–1260), married Constance of Montcada, Countess of Bigorre
In 1235, James remarried to Yolanda, daughter of Andrew II of Hungary by his second wife Yolande de Courtenay. She bore him numerous children:
Yolanda, also known as Violant, (1236–1301), married Alfonso X of Castile
Constance (1239–1269), married Juan Manuel, Lord of Villena, son of Ferdinand III
Peter (1240–1285), successor in Aragon, Catalonia, and Valencia
James (1243–1311), successor in Balearics and Languedoc
Ferdinand (1245–1250)
Sancha (1246–1251)
Isabella (1247–1271), married Philip III of France
Mary (1248–1267), nun
Sancho, Archbishop of Toledo (1250–1279)
Eleanor (born 1251, died young)
James married thirdly Teresa Gil de Vidaure, but only by a private document, and left her when she developed leprosy.
James (c.1255–1285), lord of Xèrica
Peter (1259–1318), lord of Ayerbe
The children in the third marriage were recognised in his last Will as being in the line of Successon to the Throne, should the senior lines fail.
James also had several lovers, both during and after his marriages, and a few bore him illegitimate sons.
By Blanca d’Antillón:
Ferran Sanchis (or Fernando Sánchez; 1240–1275), baron of Castro
By Berenguela Fernández:
Pedro Fernández, baron of Híjar
By Elvira Sarroca:
Eleanor of Aquitane
October 16, 2013
— 3 Comments
Eleanor of AquitaneMy 25th great-grandmother was extremely powerful. She married the king of France, and then the king of England. She ruled for her son, Richard the Lionhearted, while he was off crusading.
Eleanor of Aquitane (1130 – 1204)
is my 25th great grandmother
Eleanor Spain Plantagenet (1162 – 1214)
daughter of Eleanor of Aquitane
Berenguela CASTILE LEON (1181 – 1244)
daughter of Eleanor Spain Plantagenet
Saint Ferdinand Castile amp Leon (1199 – 1252)
son of Berenguela CASTILE LEON
Alfonso X Wise Castile Leon amp Galicia (1221 – 1284)
son of Saint Ferdinand Castile amp Leon
Sancho Brave Castile Leon (1258 – 1295)
son of Alfonso X Wise Castile Leon amp Galicia
Beatrice Sanchez Infanta Castile (1293 – 1359)
daughter of Sancho Brave Castile Leon
Peter I Portugal Cruel Algarve (1320 – 1367)
son of Beatrice Sanchez Infanta Castile
John I DePinto (1358 – 1433)
son of Peter I Portugal Cruel Algarve
Beatrix DePinto (1403 – 1447)
daughter of John I DePinto
John Fettiplace (1427 – 1464)
son of Beatrix DePinto
Richard Fettiplace (1460 – 1511)
son of John Fettiplace
Anne Fettiplace (1496 – 1567)
daughter of Richard Fettiplace
Mary Purefoy (1533 – 1579)
daughter of Anne Fettiplace
Susanna Thorne (1559 – 1586)
daughter of Mary Purefoy
Gov Thomas Dudley (1576 – 1653)
son of Susanna Thorne
Anne Dudley (1612 – 1672)
daughter of Gov Thomas Dudley
John Bradstreet (1652 – 1718)
son of Anne Dudley
Mercy Bradstreet (1689 – 1725)
daughter of John Bradstreet
Caleb Hazen (1720 – 1777)
son of Mercy Bradstreet
Mercy Hazen (1747 – 1819)
daughter of Caleb Hazen
Martha Mead (1784 – 1860)
daughter of Mercy Hazen
Abner Morse (1808 – 1838)
son of Martha Mead
Daniel Rowland Morse (1838 – 1910)
son of Abner Morse
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse
Eleanor of Aquitaine
(in French: Aliénor d’Aquitaine, Éléonore de Guyenne) (1122 or 1124 – 1 April 1204) was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France (1137-1152) and of England (1154-1189). Eleanor of Aquitaine is the only woman to have been queen of both France and England, with the exception of Margaret of Anjou whose status as Queen of France is disputed. She was the patroness of such literary figures as Wace, Benoît de Sainte-More, and Chrétien de Troyes.
Eleanor succeeded her father as suo jure Duchess of Aquitaine and Countess of Poitiers at the age of fifteen, and thus became the most eligible bride in Europe. Three months after her accession she married Louis VII, son and junior co-ruler of her guardian, King Louis VI of France. As Queen of France, she participated in the unsuccessful Second Crusade. Soon after the Crusade was over, Louis VII and Eleanor agreed to dissolve their marriage, because of Eleanor’s own desire for divorce and also because the only children they had were two daughters – Marie and Alix. The royal marriage was annulled on 11 March 1152, on the grounds of consanguinity within the fourth degree. Their daughters were declared legitimate and custody of them awarded to Louis, while Eleanor’s lands were restored to her.
As soon as she arrived in Poitiers, Eleanor became engaged to Henry II, Duke of the Normans, her cousin within the third degree, who was nine years younger. On 18 May 1152, eight weeks after the annulment of her first marriage, Eleanor married the Duke of the Normans. On 25 October 1154 her husband ascended the throne of the Kingdom of England, making Eleanor Queen of the English. Over the next thirteen years, she bore Henry eight children: five sons, three of whom would become king, and three daughters. However, Henry and Eleanor eventually became estranged. She was imprisoned between 1173 and 1189 for supporting her son Henry’s revolt against her husband, King Henry II.
Eleanor was widowed on 6 July 1189. Her husband was succeeded by their son, Richard the Lionheart, who immediately moved to release his mother. Now queen dowager, Eleanor acted as a regent for her son while he went off on the Third Crusade. Eleanor survived her son Richard and lived well into the reign of her youngest son King John. By the time of her death she had outlived all of her children except for King John and Eleanor, Queen of Castile.
mermaidcamp 